A former Transport Minister thinks people are over-reacting to electric scooters.
Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) figures show there have been 38 injuries since the Lime e-scooters appeared in Auckland and Christchurch two weeks ago on October 15.
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National Party MP Gerry Brownlee, who was Transport Minister from December 2011 to October 2014, told Newshub he thinks people are overreacting to injury statistics.
"How many car accidents were reported during that time to ACC?" he said.
"I think you can get really wound up by getting stats that will sort of back a position, but I'm still saying I think the less regulation here, the better."
Auckland Council has ordered an urgent safety report after councillor Christine Fletcher was nearly hit by one of the scooters. She said she was left shaken by the experience.
"There are issues. I am not sure if we are capable of regulating it through bylaws," Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said at the time.
But Mr Brownlee said the current rules in place are fine.
"What amused me [was] what appeared to be a bureaucratic rush to get all sorts of regulation in place for something that, goodness me, there had been no regulation before," he said.
"I think we've got to go against that."
He said people on the scooters need to steer clear of pedestrians, but most people he's seen are being careful and having fun.
"The thing that I've noticed is, generally people are behaving themselves on them and they generally have a smile on their face," he said.
Newshub.
